Ventura County to get $1.5M through federal program

Ventura County will receive $1.47 million from the U.S. Department of Interior’s Payments in Lieu of Taxes. The PILT program gives funds to local governments to offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable federal lands within their boundaries.

Last year, Ventura County received $1.3 million in PILT funds, according to Congresswoman Julia Brownley, D-Westlake Village.

“Rural communities are important drivers of Ventura County’s diverse economy,” Brownley said in a statement. “These investments will help Ventura County continue to provide the vital services — including firefighters and police, public school and road construction, and search and rescue operations — that make our community a great place to live and work.”

Eligibility for the program is limited to local governments that contain non-taxable federal lands. Most of the program’s beneficiaries are rural counties, the congresswoman’s office noted, and provide support for the national parks, wildlife refuges and recreation areas within their borders.